MoneyGram Ramps live on Solana, unlocking 500K retail cash points

MoneyGram launched its Ramps cash-to-crypto service on Solana on Aug. 11, giving developers access to a payments network serving more than 60 million customers. The integration allows users to deposit and withdraw cash at roughly 500,000 retail locations across 170 countries, bridging digital assets with physical payout points.

"Anyone building on Solana can use our off-ramp, the ability to put cash in or cash out, at any of our 500,000 retail locations," Anthony Soohoo, CEO of MoneyGram, said in a Bloomberg Crypto interview. "We're trying to connect the real world with the digital world."

The launch follows MoneyGram's move to become a Solana validator on June 22, making it the third chain where the remittance giant operates an official validator alongside Tempo and the Midnight Network. MoneyGram also launched MGUSD, its dollar-denominated stablecoin, in June with infrastructure partners including Bridge, Crossmint, Fireblocks, M0 and Stellar. Rift became the first Solana wallet to integrate the Ramps service.

The integration extends MoneyGram's blockchain push beyond its 2021 partnership with the Stellar Development Foundation. While MoneyGram's developer documentation still centers Ramps on Stellar-based USDC, with non-Stellar wallets using bridging, the Solana validator role and Ramps launch represent a deeper commitment to the network. Solana processed 171.9 million transactions in a single day, and its Agave v4.2 upgrade is scheduled to begin mainnet feature activations around Aug. 17, reducing slot times from 400 milliseconds toward 200 milliseconds.

What the cash rails mean for Solana builders

For Solana developers, the practical question is wallet-level availability. Phantom, Solflare, Backpack and Rift each still need a live, supported integration before users can treat MoneyGram as a native cash-out option. The validator announcement and developer API are infrastructure commitments, not finished consumer flows.

MoneyGram's advantage over crypto-native ramp providers is its physical footprint: cash counters, compliance processes and customer trust in markets where banking infrastructure is thin. The company says it serves more than 200 countries and territories and has helped 150 million people over the past five years.

The stablecoin bridge

The Solana integration is part of MoneyGram's broader stablecoin strategy. Ramps launched in May 2025 as a cash-to-crypto and crypto-to-cash API, supporting cash deposits in more than 30 countries and withdrawals in more than 170. The MGUSD stablecoin, issued on Stellar by Stripe's Bridge, powers services across MoneyGram's global network.

For migrant workers receiving wages as stablecoins, cash pickup through a familiar counter could prove more useful than a balance trapped in a wallet. For small businesses paying contractors across borders, the value is speed and cost — provided the cash-out actually works. The blockchain matters only if the last mile functions.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.